Re-Direction

Best laid plans


Mission trips are often tests of flexibility. You need to have a plan, and then be ready to not use it. On one trip I decided to keep track of the changes in our base plan for one day. We started with plan A, and moved through B, C, …up to J! In Acts 9 we see someone have their plans drastically altered.



Halt
     Acts 9:1-9


Saul was persecuting Christians in Jerusalem, and most of them left. He went after them. Along the way, ultra bright light hit him. What did he see and what did he hear? 9:17, 27 indicate that he actually saw Jesus. Acts 22, 26 indicate the others did not see anyone, and did not understand what was said. Jesus indicated He was changing Saul’s direction, and coaching him not to resist the change. (don’t kick against the goads – Acts 26).
Saul was blinded. He sat in the dark for three days, fasting completely. (Like Jesus was in the tomb, then re-born.) What did he do with that time? He prayed.



Heal
     Acts 9:10-19


Saul prayed and saw a vision of Ananias. At the same time, Ananias heard very specifically from God, but he held back. We often say that if we just knew what God wanted, we would do it. Sometimes we mean it, but not every time. Ananias acts like he has to tell God who Saul is. God says “Go!”
God says Saul will be someone special, speaking before Jews, Gentiles and kings. Being the Apostle Paul, sounds like a great thing. Being special to God sounds like a wonderful life. When Paul did speak before kings, he did it in chains as a prisoner. And he was stoned, beaten, arrested, ship wrecked, snake bitten…. We don’t know what greatness awaits us. There could be plenty. Don’t expect it to be risk free. We should not say “the safest place to be is in the center of God’s will” in the usual sense of those words.



Hate
     Acts 9:20-25


Saul pretty quickly jumps into sharing the gospel. He was an intense guy before he was saved, and he is intense afterward too. His personality was not eliminated. He moved from targeting to being a target. Galatians 2 indicates that he was in Damascus for three years. We do not hear that people responded to him, but we hear that he became too hot to stay there. He was evacuated.



Hold
     Acts 9:26-31


In Jerusalem, the believers did not believe that Saul had converted. Barnabas had to vouch for him. Like in Damascus, he jumped right into preaching Jesus, and soon became too hot to handle there. They sent him to Tarsus, where he was from. He was sent home, and his ministry put on hold. He was like Moses, who attempted to become a deliverer at age 40. He was not ready until age 80. Saul waited more than a decade.



Where are you?


You might find yourself at a point like Saul, or maybe like Ananias. Are you on hold, or looking for God’s will? Are you really willing to do what He says? Find out where you are, and ask the Lord what it takes for you to move to your next step.